Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye
by raincarlove
Summary: A Brucas ending to episode 408. Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, the characters in this story, or anything else. This was just for fun.


"Now this is more like it." Lucas Scott observed as he gently applauded his hands. He had just walked into a newly-painted Peyton Sawyer's room. It wasn't as bare as it had been previously, which was good to see. It meant she was doing better after that whole Derek thing. When she turned around to look at him, her arms crossed and a slight smile on her face, he smiled back.

"Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry that we didn't get to spend more time together tonight." He explained his reasoning for being there. He had gone to the banquet with Brooke, and as nice as it was to finally be out somewhere with Brooke again, he did want to spend a little time with his friend Peyton. He just couldn't exactly do that with Brooke around.

Peyton's eyes were cast down towards the floor as he spoke. She had wanted to go with Lucas to that banquet, and seeing him there with Brooke the whole time wasn't fun. She _loved_ him, so she couldn't help but worry about the two of them getting back together after tonight. What if they did? She wouldn't stand a chance then, because obviously their love would be strong enough to bring them back together _again_.

"How'd it go with Brooke?" She asked him, hesitation in her voice. She wasn't exactly sure that she really wanted to hear the answer.

Lucas thought for a moment about his answer. How did it go? It went well. He and Brooke were on speaking terms again, finally. Being able to just... talk to Brooke again was probably the best thing that had happened to him in awhile. He hated not speaking to her for as long as they had.

"I realized tonight that it's over between me and Brooke, and she realized it too." He finally decided upon as his answer. That was what they had realized, right? But, for some reason, it felt so wrong to refer to them as over. He never thought what he and Brooke had could ever be... over.

"I love you, Lucas." Peyton said suddenly after a moment of silence. She had been wanting to tell him how she felt for a long time now. At first she didn't because of Brooke, and then she was scared, but now? Now he and Brooke were finally over. She got her chance, and she took it.

"I love you too, Peyton." Lucas replied. He wasn't exactly sure why she had said that to him. They were friends. Of course they loved each other. She had practically been like a sister to him once he started to take care of her after the stalker fiasco. And that was how he loved her - like a little sister.

Peyton let out a kind of nervous laugh. She had always wanted to hear him say those words to her, but not how he said them. She could just tell that he didn't mean them in the way she had wanted him to. She decided to take more of a chance on it, and explain to him what she meant.

"You don't understand. I've been holding this in for a really long time. I just... need you to know. I love you. I'm in love with you." She clarified for him, looking to him for his response to that. She was scared. Peyton Sawyer had just put herself out there... Telling him her feelings. The last time she had done that Brooke had walked into the room in Lucas' sweat-shirt.

Lucas... Lucas had not been expecting that at all. She was in love with him. Last year he probably would have given anything for her to tell him that. But then he found Brooke, the girl that changed his world, and he couldn't imagine loving anyone else but her. Brooke who... he was thinking about right now as Peyton told him she loved him. Memories that he shared with Brooke resurfaced and he couldn't help but think that maybe saying they were over was a mistake. It had to be. He still loved her. She was his Pretty Girl.

"Oh." Was all he could managed to say in response to what Peyton had said. Wasn't he going to be a writer someday? You'd think he could be a little more wordy than that.

Peyton's heart sank right there. Oh. He had said oh. There was no 'I'm in love with you too, Peyton.' like she had always hoped for. Just... Oh. She knew there was always a chance he wouldn't say it back, but she hadn't really prepared herself for it.

"Look, Peyton, we're... we're friends." Lucas said, sort of mumbling it. He was completely unsure of what exactly he was supposed to say other than that. "I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's okay." Peyton shook her head gently, holding back a few tears. It didn't really feel okay right now, but she faked a smile at him anyway.

Lucas hated seeing her like this. She _was_ his friend after all, and to think he was hurting her like this... it hurt him too. "I'm sorry." He told her again softly. It wouldn't really make anything better for her, but he had to say it. "It's just..."

"Brooke." Peyton finished for him. She had seen something in his eyes after she had told him how she felt. Something she only ever saw there when he was thinking about Brooke, talking to Brooke, or, hell, even in the same five mile radius as Brooke. As much as it hurt her to think about that, she realized that he and Brooke definitely weren't over. They could _never_ be over.

"Brooke." Lucas repeated with a small nod of his head. Somehow Peyton's admittance to her feelings for him and triggered Lucas to regret ever thinking he and Brooke could be over. He loved Brooke Davis. He was _in love_ with Brooke Davis. He just hoped she felt that same way.

"Go to her, Lucas. Fix... whatever the hell it is you have going on, before it's too late." She told him. Yes, she wanted to be with Lucas herself, but if he didn't want to be with her, she wouldn't force that on him. She loved him, and because of that, she wanted him to be happy. If Brooke made him happy, then she wanted Brooke for Lucas.

He just sort of stared at her for a moment, surprised that she had told him that. There was a long moment of silence before he opened his mouth to speak again. "Peyton..."

"Go." Peyton cut him off before he could say anything else. She pleaded him with her eyes just to go. She just needed him to go, and she knew he needed to go. He needed to find Brooke and figure out their relationship before he ended up in the same place that Peyton was right now. She didn't want him to admit his feelings to Brooke, just to find out she didn't feel the same way anymore.

Lucas took in the one word Peyton said. 'Go.' He repeated it over and over in his mind. Peyton was right. He had to go. He looked her in the eyes, sort of saying good bye that way, and without a word turned around and left her room, going to go see Brooke.

After that, things seemed like a blur until he arrived on the doorstep of Rachel's house, where Brooke was currently staying. It reminded him a lot of Brooke's old house. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hoping to God that she would answer. He looked down to the ground, but his eyes lifted back up level with the door when he heard it start to open.

It just so happened to be Brooke Davis who opened the door, just as he hoped. She had a confused expression on her face, that was mixed with a small smile. She wasn't sure why he was there, but it wasn't like it made her unhappy.

"Lucas, what are you..." She wasn't even able to finish her sentence. Lucas stepped forward and pulled Brooke to him, cupping her chin in his hand as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips.

He rested his forehead against hers as the kiss slowly broke, just taking a few breaths before locking his eyes on hers. "I love you, Brooke Davis. It's always been you."

Brooke looked up at him, unable to speak for what seemed like forever, but was really just a few seconds. She had hoped for this moment ever since she had made the mistake of breaking up with him. Ever since she had made the mistake tonight of thinking they were over and done with. Her eyes lit up, a sparkle in them that hadn't been seen since the last time she was with him, and she smiled.

"I love you too, Lucas Scott."


End file.
